Clutch and speed controlling device.



'NQ. 834,778. I PATBNTED 001?. v 30, 1906.

r s. w. WARDWBLL. CLUTCH AND SPEED CONTROLLING DEVICE.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE4.1904.

2 SHEETSSHEBT 1.

ATTORNEYS No. 834,778. PATENTED OCT. 30, 1906.

s w. WABDWELL. CLUTCH AND SPEED CONTROLLING DEVICE.

APPLICATION TILED JUNEL 1904.

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"Till ll ii, OF PROVIDE}; ENDING COM PANY,

PATENT OFFICE.

OF TFORTLAND, MAINE,

A CORPORA- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 30, 1906.

Application filed. June 4,1904. .Serial No. 211.205.

" lowing a specification.

My inve 'rtion relates to clutch and speed controlling devices in which rotation is imparted to two or more shafts with adjustable relative speeds.

lviyiinvention is particularly adapted to Winding-machines inwhich the rotation of the wind in -s )indle is controlled through. a clutch mechanism and communicated. to. the camshaft, vmich reciprocates the thread-guide, at a speed capable of variation to suit the condi tions of the winding.

The invention is fully described in the following speciiicatirm. and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in Whichl is ascotional plan view on line i. 1, preferred embodin'ient the iii-- vention, showing the relation. of the driving iiuemher, clutch, and transn'iission member withtho driving member disengaged from the clutch; Fig. 2, an end view of the same looking in the same direction of the arrow, Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a detail view of the same looking in the direction and showing the operating-springs; Fig. 4-, another embodiment of the invention, being a sectional plan view on the line 2 2, Fig. 5; Fig. 5, a sectional view of this embodiment taken on line 3 3, Fig. 4-; Fig. 6, an end view of the operating-lever used with this embodiment; Fig. 7, another view of the same; Fig. 8, a longitudinal view of? the spring used with the latter embodiment; Fig. 9, an end view oi the same; Fig. 10,. an enlarged detail view showing the in ethod of fastening the spring to the driving mernh erin this arrangement.

hiy device comprises, essentially, a driving member or pulley A, free torotate on a shaft,

. a clutch, ofwhich the pulley constitutes one niemb er, the o ther member, .0, mounted upon the shaft to turn therewith, and a transmiss1 member D, of whichthe member C i one cinteh constitutes apart.

'ilhe may be the spindle of a windtngnraohme or any shaft to which it is desired to impart rotation and extends from its bearing X a sufficient length. to support the members above mentioned. As shown in Fig. 1, the clutch member 0 is supported at the outer end of the shaft, which is reduced in diameter to form a shoulder 1), against which the clutch is firmly clamped by means of a screw 1), engaging a threaded bore in the end of the shaft. The driving member A may be a pulley, as shown, or a friction-disk, or a gear, and is formed with a taper clutcl1-face a, adapted to engage the correspondingly-tapcred "face 0 on the clutch. The pulley A is clutch, and in this instancel prefer to mount it on a bushing E, held longitudinally between the bearmg X and the hub a of the clutch. T he bushing E is connected to rotate with thedriving-pulley by means of a pin e, engaging a slot 0/ in the hub of the pulley, the slot being of sufiioient length to permit the pulley to slidelongitudinally. A groove e is provided in thebore of the bushing and serves to entrain a-portion of the oil supplied to the bearing X, so that its hearing on the shaft is siiliieieiitly lubricated. To prevent the oil from. working tarther along channel is provided at the end of the bushing, formed by a groove'e in the bushing made to register with a corresponding groove Win the shalt B. Any surplus oil reaching the'end of the bushing while the shaft is rotating is thrown out by centrifugal force into the bushing-groove 6 and when theishaft is still the oil' settles in the shaft-groove e and lower part of the grooves e lf For throwing the driving-pulley in and out of engagement with the clutch I provide the novel means now described. On the inner end of the pulley-hub is a tapered flangeo adapted to be engaged on either side by the corresponding faces f andj" of an operatinglever F. The operating-love s for both embodiments of the invention are similar in general design, having twoarms and f 3 extending from a hub and forked to straddle the hub of the driving puliey. (See Fig. 6.) The dii'lerence between the lever used with the form of device shown in Fig. 1 and the lever illustrated in Fig. 6 is simply in the arrangement oi the beveled extremities to RHODE lSLAND'. ASSIGNOR TO rotatable on theshait, but.

the shaft, where it is not required. an annular I slidable in and out of engagement with the web of the adapt the former to engage the sides of the flange a and the latter the sides' of a groove, as hereinafter explained. In either case the lever is mounted on a rock-shaft, (not shown,) and the rocking of the shaft engages alternately the bevel-faces f and f of the lever with the tapers on the driving-pulley. In winding-machines the rock-shaft is generally supported in the frame to be turned in one direction manually by means of a lever to start the machine and rocked in the opposite direction to stop it through a spring. (Not here shown.)

have not here shown the rock-sl1aft and the rock-lever, because these are familiar from general use and have been before describe in connection with clutch devices for winding-machines, as shown, however, in my application Serial No. 211,203, filed June 4,

1904'. The essential element in the o eratlon of tlns invention is the operatingever F, which is supported and actuated through the well-known means mentioned.

It will be seen from Fig. 1 that when the face f engages the flange c the pulley A is forced along the shaft toward the clutch, and when the face f moves inward the pulley is carried in the opposite direction. 'I he driving-pulley rotates constantly whether the shaft is rotating or not, and to preventfriction between the lever F and the flange a I provide means for moving the pulleyautomatically the latter part of its throw in or out of engagement with the clutch. Through the agency of springs acting on oppositelybeveled faces the movement of the pulley is continued to carry the flange a away from the facesf and f, so that the pulley rotates freely ,without friction from the lever F. This arrangement in the first embodiment described is as follows: Two springs G G, preferably of sheet metal, are fastened to the ulley by the screws 9 g and reach out beyon the hub of the pulley to bear on the bushing E. The bushing is flatted on opposite sides near its end and formed on both sides with two offset bevel-faces g and gwith a step 9, oppositely beveled, between them. The springs G G are bent downward at their outer ends, and with the of engagement with its clutch the bent portions bear on the faces or bevels g g, with their ends resting against the steps g 9 (See Fig. I.) When the pulley is forced toward the clutch by the faccf engaging thc flange e the ends of the springs are raiscd up over the point of the stop 9 and the springs then bear on the bevels g g. The movement of the pulley effected by the lever F is just sullicicnt to change the springs from one bevel to the other, and the tendency of the springs being constrictive they then act on the bevels g g to slide the pullcy out of engagement with the lever F and into engagement with the clutch, firmly holding it in pulley out this latter engagement to cause the rotation of the shaft. To release the-pulley it from the clutch C, the face f is engaged with thc flange at by rocking the lever F in the opposite direction to that first described, and the or belt-pulley; but I prefer to use an oxpano sible pulleycapable of variation in diameter to regulate the speed of the driven shaft. l: have shown a device similar in principle to that described in my Patent No. 690,494, granted January 7, 1902, in which a split rim is supported on plungcrs capable of radial adjustment to expand or contract the rim. By constructing the clutch nicn'iber so that it constitutes an essential art of the. pulley or transmission member t in mechanism is simplified and compacted and its cost of manufacture cheapened.

' Onthe clutch member C is formed an annular extension or ring portion (2, bored to receive a lurality of radial spokes or plun-- gers d d, 0., and constituting, in effect, the hub of the pulley. These plungers arc adapt-- ed to slide in their bores and are formed with. enlarged heads flattened to engage a groove (1 in the rim (1 to retain the latter in position and also to prevent the plungers from turning in then bores. The rim of the pulley is a. flat ring split at d to allow expansion, and a staple d", driven into the ring, engages a slot (Z in one of the plungers to prevent the ring from turning on the plungers. The inner ends of the plungers are beveled to i'it a ta, per nut H, which engages the threaded portion 0 of the clutch-hub. An extension 1:. on the nut provides a handheld whereby the nut may be turned to adjust the pulley, and, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, I prefer to form this of sheet metal cup-shaped and corru gated to present a gripping-surface. The extension h is fastened to the nut by its inner rim bent down font a shoulder on the nut, the flange formed by the shoulder being rivcted over it, and two projections 7a. 71 on the extension entering slots in the flange to prevent the handle from turning on the nut. When the nut is screwed onto the clutchhub, the plungers are forced outward to expand the pulley, and the reverse movement allows their inward movement due to the constrictive action of the spring-ring, so that the diameter of the pulley is reduced. To retain the nut in its adjusted position, provide a chcclti, formed as a washer, tightly clamped against the clutch-hub by the screw b and having a spring-finger i with a pointd in one. of the plungers engages-ahole in theed end adapted to enter the flutes in the extension h. The finger i yields sui'liciently to allow the nut to be operated by the hand, but is rigid' enough to prevent accidental turning when the nut is once adjusted.

In Fig. 4 is shown another form of the invention having slight changes in design, but substantially the same in principle. The pulley A is mounted directly on the shaft, and the lever F (shown in Figs. 6 and 7) opcrates on both sides of a tapered groove formed by the flange a and the Web of the pulley. The spring J is made of sheet ntietal. ormed in a ring with a plurality of prongs j, adapted to extendoutward beyond the hub of the pulley. A-collar K, formed with bevels 7c and k, serving the same purpose as the bevels on the bushing E in Fig. 1, is held be tween a washer L, abutting a shoulder on the shaft, and the hub of the clutch. The extremities of the prongs of the spring J are bent down, ada t1 ng them to'bear on the bev els, and the co lar K being free on the shaft rotates with the pulley A, owing to the frio- 1 tion of the spring when the shaft is stopped.

It will be obvious that the collar K might be dis ensed with by shortening the hub of the pn ley A andformingannular bevels directly on. the shaft B; but the arrangement described is preferable, since it saves the springs from the wear that would be conseq uent if the latter rotated on the bevels. he spring J is fastened to the pulley in the following novel manner: A groove is turned on the hub of thepulley to form a shoulder a. Between the prongs j of the spring the edge of the ring portion is turned in, forming projections j, which when the ring is sprung onto the pulley-hub against ,the shoulder a enter the groove and abut;the-shoulder a. (See Fig. 10.) A flat ring ,M'is then forced on over the spring, holding it from displacement.

previously described.

As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the clutch in this form of structure is held on the shaft B by the plun ers d d, &c., of the expansionpulley, whic .extend through the r'm and hub of the clutch and enter-radial. ores in the shaft. The shaft is bored longitudinall and threaded to receive the adj ustin --nut N which in this case is made with th handle and tapered portion in one piece. he ends of the plungers which engage the taper of the not are formed conical, so that no provision to prevent their turning is necessary. A pin pullcyrim to cause the latterto rotate with the plungers, and the ad justing-nut N is secured from turning after adjustment by a check-screw O. The latter is threaded to engage a bore in the nut and has an extension reachin through to bear on the bottom of the bore in the shaft. When the check- The operation of this form of the device is the same as that of the embodiment screw is set against the bore, it binds the thread of the nut N and holds it from turnmg.

I am aware that clutch devices have be fore been made in which a sliding member en gages a member fixed on the shaft, and I am also familiar with the type of e'xpansible pul-- leys made with lunger-spokes. Therefore I 'do not claim tie invention broadly, but Wish to secure protection for ,my improve ment in the structure and arrangement of the parts and the novel manner of their operation. i

What I claim is l The combination in a clutch device with a shaft, of a clutch member fast on the shaft, a driving member rotatable on the shaft and constituting the other clutch member, a lever to start the movement of the driving-clutch membento or from the other clutch member and a resilient member to automatically continue said movement to force the drivin clutch member in or out'of engagement with the other clutch member.

2. The comb nation in a clutch device, of a shaft, a member, fast on the shaft, 21. second member rotatable thereon and adapted to be moved in or out of engagement with the first-member, a lever to start said movement in each direction, and a resilient member to continue the movement of the second mem- .ber automatically to carry it to or-away from I the first member.

3, The combination with a shaft, of a clutch member fast on the shaft, a drivingpulley rotatable and slidable on the shaft and constituting a sliding clutch member, a lever to start the sliding movement of the drivingpulley, and a spring acting automatically'to continue said movement to carry the pulley into or out of engagement with the clutch member fixed to the shaft.

,4. The combination in a clutch device, or a shaft, two clutch members supported thereby to permit one to move to and from the other, and a spring. member extending from.

too

IIC

clutch member, the other provi ed with a plurality of beveled faces arranged to be engaged by the end of the spring member in different positions ofthe latter, and means for shifting the sliding member of the clutch, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination with a shaft, of a clutch memberfast on the shaft, a bushing rotatable on the shaft and formed with oppositely-beveled faces, a driving member rotasprings from one face to the other for the clutch member fast table with and slidable on the bushing and constituting a second clutch member, s )ringsfastened to the driving member and a apted to bear on the said beveled faces, and means to slide the driving member to shift the purpose and in the manner described.

- 7. The combination with a shaft, of a on the shaft, a bushing rotatable on the shaft and flatted at one end with oppositely-beveled -faces, a driving member rotatable with the bushing and slidable thereon and constituting a second clutch member and havingreversely-beveled faces, springs fastened to the driving memher and formed at their ends to col-res 30nd with the faces on the bushing, and a roc le ver adapted to engage alternately the opposite faces of the driving member, whereby the said member may be moved longitudinally to shift the springs from. one bevel to the other.

8. In a clutch device, the combination with a shaft, of a beveled collar rotatable on the shaft, a second clut'ch member fast on the shaft, :1 driving clutch member rotatable on the shaft and slidable to engage the clutch member, and a rin -shaped sprin member fastened to the driving member an having a plurality of prongs with hooked extremities adapted to bear on the bevels of the collar, substantially as set forth.

9. The combination in a clutch device with a fixed clutch member, of a sliding clutch member having a hub formed with a groove, a spring formedwith a split ring hav mg prongs extendinghtherefrom and proje'c- 

